Auxiliary locking system for motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

An electrically operated lock system for vehicle doors and the like wherein a reversible solenoid is provided for each door to furnish a bolting device to retain each door closed in a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;dead latch&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position, the solenoids being actuated only by means of an externally accessible cylinder lock operating a switch controlling the circuits to the solenoids. The cylinder lock and switch are arranged to operate the solenoids to lock the doors by a rotation of the key plug of the lock in one direction and to unlock the doors by a rotation of the key plug in the opposite direction.

United States Patent Oliver Mar. 26, 1974 AUXILIARY LOCKING SYSTEM FOR 2,107,737 2/1938 Irwin 70/264 MOTOR VEHICLE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: y Oliver, 148 Ellen u Salem, 943,019 11/1963 Great Britain 292/144 Va. 24153 764,492 12/1956 Great Britain 70/264 22 Filed: Apr. 6, 1972 Appl. No.: 241,513

Primt zry Examiner-Albert G. Craig, Jr.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT An electrically operated lock system for vehicle doors and the like wherein a reversible solenoid is provided for each door to furnish a bolting device to retain each door closed in a dead latch position, the solenoids being actuated only by means of an externally accessible cylinder lock operating a switch controlling the circuits to the solenoids. The cylinder lock and switch are arranged to operate the solenoids to lock the doors by a rotation of the key plug of the lock in one direction and to unlock the doors by a rotation of the key plug in the opposite direction.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures AUXILIARY LOCKING SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The enormous value of stolen motor vehicles annually represents a major problem in modern society, and security measures to curb such losses to motor car owners have been taken in many ways. However, many of the so called security. devices are in themselves subject to failure either through inherent defects or through the failure of motor car operators to use them properly. For example, present motor cars are equipped with locks upon each door; however, each of the locks is independently operable from inside the vehicle so that a vehicle operator may overlook one of these locks when parking his vehicle or one of the locks may be accessible to a would be thief via an open window or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an auxiliary locking system wherein only one operation is necessary to completely lock all the doors of the vehicle regardless of the condition of the individual door locks. Furthermore, the present invention eliminates all oversights of the vehicle operator by requiring him to operate one locking device only from the outside of the vehicle thereby permanently locking all doors until the same device is reversely operated to unlock the doors. Would be intruders into the vehicle are powerless to open the doors of the vehicle even though inadvertant openings are in one or more doors, e.g., by a partially closed window.

Essentially the invention provides an electrically operated solenoid for each door incorporated into a system whereby the control circuits to the solenoids are actuated only from a switch operable by the key plug rotation of an externally operated cylinder lock, this system being separate and independent of the conventional locking devices on the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a line diagram of the locking system and electrical connections between the operating switch and the solenoids provided on each door of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a door locking solenoid as installed in each door of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference is made to FIG. I wherein is shown a motor vehicle body frame fhaving a plurality of hinged doors d each swinging from a door post dp (see dashed lines in upper left of FIG. I). In each door is located a solenoid sld having an operating bolt sb which cooperates with a notch n (see also FIG. 2) in the framefto lock the door -d whenthe solenoid is energized as explained in detail hereinafter. It is to be noted that the solenoid sld can be placed in the framefand the notch n in the door d with equal effectiveness.

Reference is made now to FIG. 2 wherein is shown the solenoid structure mounted in the door d and the cooperating notch n in the frame fof the vehicle. An operating bolt sb normally is slidably movable into and out of the notch n under control of the windings a and [2, each of which generates magnetic flux when energized to act upon an armature sa attached to the end of the bolt sb. The windings a and b have terminals A, B, and a common terminal C which is grounded to the frame of the vehicle.- Consequently, when the winding a is energized via terminal A the bolt sb is forced into the notch n to lock a door d with the framefand when winding b (which is wound in an opposite direction from that of winding a) is energized via terminal B the bolt sb is withdrawn from the notch -n to unlock the door d from the frame f. The armature sa is made of magnetic material whereas the bolt sb is made of nonmagnetic material. A socket sk is formed in the bolt sb into which a toggle spring ts pivoted at a point p coacts to retain the bolt sb in either of its operated positions.

and B of each of the solenoids sld. Consequently, when the switch is rotated in one direction (to contact A, for example) the winding of each solenoid (winding a is energized and when the switch SW is rotated in the opposite direction (to contact B, for example) the winding of each solenoid (winding b) is energized. The switch SW may be arranged to be controlled by the key plug of a cylinder lock (not shown) such as described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,302. To reduce battery energy consumption the switch may be provided with a spring return for normally retaining it in its neutral position unless the key plug is held in either of the rotated operating positions.

In operation, therefore, an operator of a motor vehicle equipped with the present invention who desires to securely lock the doors of his vehicle merely gets out of the vehicle, closes his doors and turns the key plug, thereby energizing all the solenoids to operate their bolts sb to lock the doors d into the'corresponding notches n of the frame f. The switch SW is operable only from the outside of the vehicle, and when the operator returns to re-enter his vehicle he merely turns the key plug of the switch SW in the opposite direction to unlock all of the doors d from the notches n in the frame f. None of the bolts sb can be operated in any other manner since they are inacessible from inside the vehicle even though an intruder breaks into the vehicle. Consequently, until the doors are actually unlocked by the switch SW, no door can be opened. In other words, a dead latch apparatus is provided.

What is claimed is:

1. An auxiliary locking system for a motor vehicle or the like including a plurality of entrant and exit doors, an electrically actuated solenoid for each said door, a reversible armature in each said solenoid, a protruding end of each said armature providing locking means in the form of a bolt for each said door for coacting with the frame of said vehicle, said armature being operable only by coaction with said solenoid, a source of direct current electromotive force, and a single, key-operated switch externally mounted on said vehicle providing the sole control means for connecting said source to said solenoids for locking and and unlocking all said doors. 

1. An auxiliary locking system for a motor vehicle or the like including a plurality of entrant and exit doors, an electrically actuated solenoid for each said door, a reversible armature in each said solenoid, a protruding end of each said armature providing locking means in the form of a bolt for each said door for coacting with the frame of said vehicle, said armature being operable only by coaction with said solenoid, a source of direct current electromotive force, and a single, key-operated switch externally mounted on said vehicle providing the sole control means for connecting said source to said solenoids for locking and and unlocking all said doors. 